Les Miserables: Even the thread will make you cry

[The Guard]

I think part of the reason Cosette doesn't have a proper song (other than Castle on a Cloud) is that she's largely been sheltered. Storywise, she has very little to react to. She lives through others, especially Valjean at first. And so her experience shows up in other people's songs.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I think part of the reason Cosette doesn't have a proper song (other than Castle on a Cloud) is that she's largely been sheltered. Storywise, she has very little to react to. She lives through others, especially Valjean at first. And so her experience shows up in other people's songs.

I Saw Him Once is a very good song, and in some ways is a better female showcase number than either I Dreamed A Dream or On My Own, but unfortunately was cut out of the show pretty much after the original London production. Also, In My Life is a good duet between Marius and adult Cossette, but again has been cut in modern productions.

Adult Cossette has really become an under-served role over time, sadly.

 

[danoyse]

I Saw Him Once is a very good song, and in some ways is a better female showcase number than either I Dreamed A Dream or On My Own, but unfortunately was cut out of the show pretty much after the original London production. Also, In My Life is a good duet between Marius and adult Cossette, but again has been cut in modern productions.

Adult Cossette has really become an under-served role over time, sadly.

I forgot all about that song. I really need to put the London cast recording on my iPod...

Although I'm thinking that the new song (other than being the obvious Oscar bait) is probably a good addition, since it's supposed to be centered around Cosette. Even if it's not her song, at least we'll get to see more of her.

 

[X Knight]

I Saw Him Once is a very good song, and in some ways is a better female showcase number than either I Dreamed A Dream or On My Own, but unfortunately was cut out of the show pretty much after the original London production. Also, In My Life is a good duet between Marius and adult Cossette, but again has been cut in modern productions.

Adult Cossette has really become an under-served role over time, sadly.

why did they cut In My Life out?

 

[Pink Ranger]

why did they cut In My Life out?

I may have exaggerated in stating that actually. The song isn't cut out per se, but is significantly changed from its original version, that it's mainly used as an expository piece rather than a duet between Marius and Cossette. In the last two professionally staged versions I've seen, Marius' role in that song pretty much disappears, and they go almost immediately into Heart Full Of Love.

 

[X Knight]

I may have exaggerated in stating that actually. The song isn't cut out per se, but is significantly changed from its original version, that it's mainly used as an expository piece rather than a duet between Marius and Cossette. In the last two professionally staged versions I've seen, Marius' role in that song pretty much disappears, and they go almost immediately into Heart Full Of Love.

ah, I see.

do we know if it will be in the movie?

 

[Raiden]

While it is unfortunate that adult Cosette doesn't have a solo song (like Eponine does), Cosette still has a song (Castle in the Cloud), and I do think that in the Second Act, her character in the musical became more of a support character because while other people experienced many strifes such as the Student Revolution, destitution, and even death, her character was largely sheltered by Jean Valjean and had a romance and then marriage with Marius. Her sole solo song came at the peak of her unhappiness, and once she was rescued by Valjean I think there wasn't another compelling moment for her to belt out another tune.

 

[narrows101]

I have five versions of Les Mis on my Ipod - original Broadway, original London, 10th anniversary, 21st anniversary, and the complete symphonic recording, and none of them have anything called "I Saw Him Once." Is that a stand-alone song or combined with something else? You would think it would be on one of the versions that I have - I guess the "complete symphonic recording" isn't complete???

Oh, and they are running over. The rumor about Sasha Baron Cohen losing his voice is true - someone asked one of the West End extras in the Master of the House scenes on Twitter if it was and he said yes. Because of that, for the past two weeks the schedule has been changed all over the place and they are finally doing "Master of the House" this week, but many of the West End actors couldn't make it this week after filming a bit last week, so they had to scramble to find new actors for this week. Jeff Nicholson, who was the foreman in the 25th anniversary edition, was one of the last-minute replacements this week.

 

[JP]

Yeah, I've NEVER even heard of that song. Haha.

Good thing about Master. Bout time.

 

[DACrowe]

True. I always found it ridiculous that Cosette doesn't even have a proper song - it's her picture, after all, that's associated with the show. Making Eponine so important character is such a ... lame thing to do. I so regret that much of Cosette’s character is not fully portrayed in the musical.

In the book, Cosette is largely a Mary Sue character. She is an angelic damsel always in need of protecting by either Valjean or Marius. I wish that, like the '98 movie, she does find out from Valjean who he was and actually tries to help him escape Javert and understands what he has done for her. But in the show, like the book, she is written to be blissfully oblivious.

No, Javert is not in the finale.

I wouldn't think so. Though the idea of Javert ushering Valjean into Heaven is kind of hilarious.

 

[DACrowe]

While it is unfortunate that adult Cosette doesn't have a solo song (like Eponine does), Cosette still has a song (Castle in the Cloud), and I do think that in the Second Act, her character in the musical became more of a support character because while other people experienced many strifes such as the Student Revolution, destitution, and even death, her character was largely sheltered by Jean Valjean and had a romance and then marriage with Marius. Her sole solo song came at the peak of her unhappiness, and once she was rescued by Valjean I think there wasn't another compelling moment for her to belt out another tune.

Yes, I forgot child Cosette has that lovely song. Though it is a problem that goes back to the book that the character Valjean is going through so much for is kind of peripheral to the plot or drama of the story.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I wouldn't think so. Though the idea of Javert ushering Valjean into Heaven is kind of hilarious.

Also, if the "heaven" depicted in Les Miz is based on the heaven of Christian and Catholic belief, then Javert definitely wouldn't be there because he committed suicide, which is arguably the worst sin in those religious traditions.

 

[danoyse]

I have five versions of Les Mis on my Ipod - original Broadway, original London, 10th anniversary, 21st anniversary, and the complete symphonic recording, and none of them have anything called "I Saw Him Once." Is that a stand-alone song or combined with something else? You would think it would be on one of the versions that I have - I guess the "complete symphonic recording" isn't complete???

I'm almost positive it's on the CD I have of the original London cast, which I got ages ago. It's the one I listen to the least, so I can't remember if it was on the CD or not. It was on the cassette version, which was the first version of the London recording that I heard.

It wasn't on the complete symphonic recording because it had been cut by then.

The original London recording also the full "Little People" song, which I've heard a few people say they want back in the film for some inexplicable reason. It's cute, but it sounds like a deleted scene from Oliver! suddenly ended up in Les Miz and crashed the entire show to a halt.

Oh, and they are running over. The rumor about Sasha Baron Cohen losing his voice is true - someone asked one of the West End extras in the Master of the House scenes on Twitter if it was and he said yes. Because of that, for the past two weeks the schedule has been changed all over the place and they are finally doing "Master of the House" this week, but many of the West End actors couldn't make it this week after filming a bit last week, so they had to scramble to find new actors for this week. Jeff Nicholson, who was the foreman in the 25th anniversary edition, was one of the last-minute replacements this week.

Damn Thernardiers.

 

[JP]

Full version of Little People >>>>>>>>>>> most of the score, tbqh.

 

[danoyse]

In the book, Cosette is largely a Mary Sue character. She is an angelic damsel always in need of protecting by either Valjean or Marius. I wish that, like the '98 movie, she does find out from Valjean who he was and actually tries to help him escape Javert and understands what he has done for her. But in the show, like the book, she is written to be blissfully oblivious.

Actually, in the show she wants to be told where she came from. That's the part of "In My Life" between her and Valjean where she tells him how much she loves him for all he's done, but that she knows there are all these things about where he came from and why they're always alone, and he won't tell her, at least not then. You can see she's frustrated with it.

 

[danoyse]

Full version of Little People >>>>>>>>>>> most of the score, tbqh.

It's cute. Beyond that...nah, doesn't belong there.

 

[JP]

That's how I feel about the majority of Thernardier songs, minus Master of the House.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I have five versions of Les Mis on my Ipod - original Broadway, original London, 10th anniversary, 21st anniversary, and the complete symphonic recording, and none of them have anything called "I Saw Him Once." Is that a stand-alone song or combined with something else? You would think it would be on one of the versions that I have - I guess the "complete symphonic recording" isn't complete???

I Saw Him Once is pretty much a lost song; it was cut very early in the production of the musical; I definitely have the song on the cassette version of the original London cast, to show you how old this song is (and how old I am ).

You can hear the song as the first part of the "love montage" here. It is quite a technically difficult song, more so than the other female solos. The Cossette you hear here is Rebecca Caine, who is more of a pure operatic soprano than the more Broadway voices of the other major female parts.

It's a short but beautiful number, and as Cossette's main solo piece it's a pity it's been lost for so long. Unfortunately, no offence meant to Amanda Seyfried, but I'm pretty sure this song is out of her league.

 

[Majik1387]

Maybe they'll surprise everyone and bring it into the movie.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Maybe they'll surprise everyone and bring it into the movie.

Lol, but since apparently danoyse and I are the only people on Earth who remember that song, I don't think there's much demand for it. Also, they'd have to get Emmy Rossum or somebody else to do the vocals on that one instead of Amanda, as I really doubt she has the range to pull that off.

 

[danoyse]

I Saw Him Once is pretty much a lost song; it was cut very early in the production of the musical; I definitely have the song on the cassette version of the original London cast, to show you how old this song is (and how old I am ).

Don't feel bad. My first copy of the complete symphonic recording was a cassette tape...that was a copy taped off a record.

 

[danoyse]

Dammit, now I just want to go home and see if my London cast cd has that song.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Don't feel bad. My first copy of the complete symphonic recording was a cassette tape...that was a copy taped off a record.

** Cut to danoyse and I sitting on the front porch in our rocking chairs with blankets on our laps even though it's summer **

I'll do you one better: my cassette was an original, but at that time I couldn't buy it in a store. I had to order it from a special mail-order catalogue.

And I have no memory of where that catalogue even came from, since I lived in Vancouver at the time. It might have been from the time I went to see the touring production of Cats; there might have been a page in the back of the program where you could order these musical cast recordings.

 

[narrows101]

Thanks for I Saw Him Once - yes, that's the first time I've heard it. Positive it's not on my London recording, but I had gotten that from a friend and downloaded it, so no idea if anything was cut off of it but I assume it wasn't.

Truthfully, kind of glad it's not there since I'm not a big fan of soprano voices. And I do wonder if they are going to "enlarge" Cosette a bit in the film since the writer did say they wanted to "flesh out" the characters.

 

[DACrowe]

Actually, in the show she wants to be told where she came from. That's the part of "In My Life" between her and Valjean where she tells him how much she loves him for all he's done, but that she knows there are all these things about where he came from and why they're always alone, and he won't tell her, at least not then. You can see she's frustrated with it.

Yes, but instead of pressing the issue, she just accepts it. Then Valjean is okay with revealing the truth to Marius, and they agree that poor, sweet, innocent Cosette can never know the truth because she can't handle it. It's all very patronizing to the character.